The optical correction of aphakia following cataract extraction remains a problem for which no perfect answer is yet available. Spectacles, contact lenses and intraocular lens implantation can provide adequate optical correction. Unfortunately, many patients are not suitable candidates for any of these three modalities. Refractive keratoplasty, specifically keratophakia, is a surgical procedure which may provide an alternative for the optical correction of aphakia in those instances where other methods cannot be used. Basically, keratophakia is the insertion of an intracorneal implant or lenticule consisting of stroma from a donor cornea, meticulously carved to precalculated dimensions. Keratophakia was developed 20 years ago by Dr. Jose Barraquer. It is now being performed by a few surgeons in several countries and is being introduced into the United States. It is therefore vitally important to provide objective and controlled data on keratophakia before this procedure becomes widespread in the United States. Our objective is to perform keratophakia in animals and to evaluate in a controlled manner, the numerous factors that can influence the outcome of this surgery. Emphasis will be placed on identifying surgical complications as well as attempting to improve the final optical correction. An effort will be made to extablish whether the lenticules could be carved outside the operating room and preserved until surgery. If such prelathing and preservation is possible, the surgical procedure will be greatly simplified.